


Kid Leash

by Diary



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Bechdel Test Fail, Conversations, Gen, Gen Fic, Halloween, Holding Hands, Kid Fic, Male Friendship, POV Male Character, POV Near, Pre-Season/Series 01, Trick or Treating, Wammy's Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 05:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7604779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Repost. Near, Matt, and Mello go trick or treating. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kid Leash

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Death Note.

Near twirls his hair, looks around, and wonders if Mello did this intentionally.

He decides it’s unlikely. Mello had adamantly refused to let Near go with him and Matt until Roger had given him the ultimatum of either taking Near or not getting to go himself. However, after they left each house, Near transferred all the chocolate he had received into Mello’s bag and all the lollipops into Matt’s. Mello might not want him around, but without a doubt, he wanted the chocolate Near provided.

Examining his surroundings, Near tries to piece together what happened.

Earlier, he had stepped on a snail and had consequently kept his eyes on the ground since to ensure he didn’t step on anything else. Mello and Matt walked together in front of him. He must have taken a different path without realising it, and they hadn’t heard him doing it.

Now, he needs to find out where he is, where they are, and how to get there.

He looks around. It’s a country road with no streetlights and no houses nearby. There are no people he can hear or see. He digs out his flashlight and turns it on. There are no nearby street signs, either.

Pointing his flashlight at a nearby tree, Near studies it and tries to discover its genus. He knows the ones around the orphanage are oak.

He’s about to break off a piece of bark when he hears, “Near!”

Small balls of light bounce around, and he sees a pirate and a priest running towards him. “I apologise.” He twirls his hair. “I took a different path without realising it.”

“This is exactly why Roger should have bought one of those kid leashes,” Mello grumbles. “How does he expect us to ‘protect’ you if you don’t even cooperate?”

Matt sighs. “We still have an hour and a half left. If you two waste it arguing, I’m not sharing any of my chocolate and I’m not loaning out my miniature airplane. And Mello, I swear I’ll tell Roger if you try to steal any of the chocolate.”

“Fine,” Mello snaps. “Near, walk in front of us.”

Near does and follows Matt’s directions. At one point, Mello yells and digs a hand into Near’s shoulder to prevent him from falling into a construction hole.

They get to a neighbourhood they recognise and start knocking on doors.

One woman studies Near and tells him he makes an adorable angel, and Mello snorts and mutters about how he’s taking Roger to court and getting him declared unfit to be around children. Matt tells the lady Near would, in many ways, make a much better demon than angel.

After they’ve gone to a few more houses, a large crowd of children passes them, and Near gets swept into the crowd. This time, Mello and Matt quickly realise it, and Matt whistles loudly.

The crowd stops, Mello convinces them to form a single file line, and they quickly find Near.

“Oh, no, it would be dehumanising to use a kid leash on Near,” Mello growls. They find a nearby building, and Matt sets his bags down before leaning against the wall and placing a hand on Near’s shoulder. “I’m pretty sure Near being kidnapped or killed or eaten by rapid dogs is even more dehumanising. ‘Sides, I still want proof that you’re human,” he adds to Near.

“You’ve seen my medical charts,” Near reminds him. “I’ve cut myself before, and you saw I bled.”

“How ‘bout I carry some of your bags, and you hold Near’s hand,” Matt suggests.

Near sees the logic in this suggestion: If he holds Mello’s hand, he won’t accidently take a wrong path or get swept into a crowd. His chances of stepping into a construction hole would also somewhat decrease.

Of course, Mello sees it differently.

Mello curses. "Matt, if you weren’t-”

“Why do you object, Mello? The logic appears sound to me.” Near twirls his hair.

Scowling, Mello answers, “I hate you, for one thing. Oh, and we’re both boys!”

“How does either of those facts make Matt’s logic flawed,” Near inquires.

“Look, you carry half of my bags, and I’ll hold Near’s hand,” Matt says. “We still have ten minutes before we need to head back, and I don’t wanna waste it.”

Mello grudgingly accepts half of Matt’s bags, and Matt takes Mello’s hand.

They’d gone to three houses when Mello came to the same conclusion Near had. “You get more candy,” he accuses Matt, “because of Near.”

Matt shrugs. “Hey, man, I don’t care. You wanna hold Near’s hand, just say so.”

“I just don’t think you should get more candy!”

Sighing in irritation, Matt says, “Near, let go of my hand and take Mello’s. We’ve still got four minutes.”

Mello’s hand is different from Matt’s, Near notices. Matt’s was just a hand and similar in many ways to Roger’s and Watari’s, but Mello’s is rough and maintains a loose hold most of the time. When he wants Near to slow and stop, his grip tightens but not enough to hurt.

The four minutes are soon over, and they head back towards the orphanage. Mello talks gleefully of all the people who will be willing to trade some of their chocolate for some of his other candy. Neither he nor Matt suggest Near should go back to holding Matt’s hand.

Some of the other orphans find them, and one of the girls, a new orphan, takes his hand from Mello’s. When they get to the orphanage, Roger immediately asks Near if Mello and Matt stayed with him the whole time. Near explains he got lost once and separated at one point but is careful to empathise it wasn’t Mello’s fault.

“I’m not taking him next year,” Mello grumbles. “I don’t see why I had to this year.”

Matt laughs, Roger sighs, and Near begins sorting his candy by what can be mailed without ruining and what can’t. He has no interest in any of it, but he’s sure L would be happy to take some of it off his hands. The rest can go to the other orphans.


End file.
